Notes and Editorial Reviews

Bassoonist Rodion Tolmachev wraps his brilliant musicianship and super-supple technical agility around a highly rewarding collection of nine French 20th century works, partnered with distinction by pianist Midori Kitagawa. The two-movement Nocturne-Danse by Eugène Bozza consists of a rhapsodic recitative followed by a witty character piece full of repeated-note phrases and carefree instrumental interplay. Bozza’s Récit, Sicilienne et Rondo are three vignettes that evoke Milhaud or Poulenc clowning around. Written for a competition, Roger Boutry’s 1972 Interférences I beats its chest with serious-minded, declamatory Messiaen-like chords, yet finds welcome points of respite when feathery bassoon runs take wing,Read more accompanied by discreet low-register piano murmurs. Alin Bernaud’s Hallucinations also begins with big, serious, not-completely tonal pronouncements, yet soon settles down into more tuneful territory.

Tolmachev’s beautiful, multi-color tone nimbly adjusts to the delightful melodic twists and turns of Jean Françaix’s Two Pieces and Marcel Bitsch’s Concertino, while characterizing the third section of Pierre-Max Dubois’ Sonatine Tango with appropriate slides and snarls. I edge toward Karen Geohegan’s slightly faster tempos and more varied articulation in her Chandos recording of the three-movement Alexandre Tansman Sonatine, but that takes nothing away from Tolmachev’s spotless, arguably more forceful execution. His eloquent way with the Saint-Saëns Bassoon Sonata stands alongside other excellent recorded renditions, even though Klaus Thunemann’s haunting legato phrasing of the Molto adagio on a deleted 1991 Claves release pleases me more. As is so often the case with MDG’s solo and chamber discs, the sonics are less about vivid detailing than the realism of a small concert venue. Recommended.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: ( 1 Customer Review )

Powerhouse TechniqueMay 21, 2014By J. Kohut (Annandale, VA)See All My Reviews"The programming for the album is superb. Just by the nature of their origin, the pieces are intrinsically threaded together despite their eclectic references to other genres within the works. No other modern voice has such cultured overtones as the 20th century French composers. In an era of YouTube references where students seek student-performances for interpretation and guidance, the pristine technique and authoritative playing serves as a refreshing beacon of quality. Unlike the conservative legends of bassoon from the last generation, Tolmachev pushes the sounds of the bassoons to the limit as this particular repertoire demands and reaps the benefits of quality sound production. I not only added this to my collection, I've encouraged other bassoonists to get it."Report Abuse